On Wednesday, data of great importance in the Eurozone will be published, such as: GDP, the unemployment rate and industrial production. In addition, the evolution of inflation and industrial production in the United Kingdom will be announced.
Today in Spain, the King will preside over the new class of judges in Barcelona, Sardine burial marks the end of Carnival, MEPs back stricter rules to ensure children’s toys are safe, and six victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation released.
Spanish News
On February 14 in Barcelona, the King will preside over the ceremony of handing over offices to the 160 members of the 72nd class of the judicial career, of which 119 women and 41 men are part. As reported by the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), the event will be attended by the interim president of the body, Vicente Guilarte, and the director of the Judicial School, Jorge Jiménez.
Although the event is not exclusive to Madrid, the capital will today bid farewell to Carnival season for another year with the ceremonial burial of the sardine. Coinciding with Ash Wednesday, the coffin carrying the poor fish will parade along the banks of the Manzanares until it reaches the Fuente del Pajarito, located in the Casa de Campo, where the Alegre Brotherhood will bury him. The celebration, which celebrates 251 years of history in 2024.
The Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee approved its position on an update of EU rules on toy safety unanimously, with 37 votes in favour. The text, which also converts the current directive into a regulation, responds to a number of emerging challenges, including the changes in purchasing habits from online shops and the increased use of digital technologies. Despite the EU market being among the safest in the world, dangerous toys still find their way into consumers’ hands. According to the EU Safety Gate (the EU rapid alert system for dangerous consumer products), toys were the most notified product category, accounting for 23% of all notifications in 2022 and 20% in 2021.
The Guardia Civil, in collaboration with the National Police within the framework of the Joya-Aguyje operation, has dismantled a criminal organisation dedicated to human trafficking for sexual exploitation and has released six victims who were under the control of the criminal structure. In total, ten people have been arrested for the alleged crimes of trafficking in human beings for the purposes of sexual exploitation, against the rights of foreign citizens, related to prostitution, against public health, against moral integrity and being part of a criminal organisation.
Things to Do
Today is Ash Wednesday, and it´s also Valentine’s Day, so if you can wait until tomorrow you can get cheap strawberries and chocolates.
Members of the N332 team are in Orihuela Costa town hall giving a talk on their latest publication (feel free to bring chocolates).
Guardamar del Segura is celebrating Valentine’s with special promotions in many shops, bars and restaurants, a full list available form the town hall or tourist info.
Traffic and Travel
We still have local road closures near the Park of Nations in Torrevieja, and the centre of Guardamar del Segura.
Flight wise, the live missile testing continues in the Bay of Biscay, and there´s another military exercise over Spain in the south of the country, but the impact of that is expected to be minimal.
On This Day
2005, Neanderthal DNA is obtained and sequenced for the first time in fossils from the Iberian Peninsula.
1980, in Madrid, the Government accuses the director in Spain of the Soviet company Aeroflot of espionage.
1928, in Spain data comes to light showing that each Spaniard eats just over 17 kg of meat per year, which implies that the city of London alone consumes 24% more than all of Spain.
